


Piece By Piece

by BlackLotus2002



Series: A Family Matter [2]
Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: After Season 2 ep 19, Albert Higgins Was Not a Good Father, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fatherhood, Gen, Juliet Higgins' Backstory, Parental Neglecting, Pre-Juliet Higgins / Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:48:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27858586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackLotus2002/pseuds/BlackLotus2002
Summary: A deal with the devil.Or; Juliet hears what her father has to offer.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins & Albert Jonathan Higgins II, Juliet Higgins & Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Series: A Family Matter [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037034
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Piece By Piece

Leave it to Albert Higgins to make everything pretentious. The place he was staying wasn’t as grand as Robin’s nest, but still, his mere presence made everything feel posh, and her? It made her feel like sixteen all over again, and she did not like that. The balcony overlooked the pacific ocean, while the sun reflected in the water of the infinity pool; he sat by the pool’s side, under a red and white umbrella, nursing what she was sure was brandy on ice. His guayabera was perfectly pleated, soft at the look and she wondered if he ever was less than perfect. The duke of Portland has always been a proper man, and he expected the same kind of propriety from each one of his six children; from his firstborn, Jonathan Quayle Higgins the IV, to his bastard, little Juliet.

“Are you going to stay there, staring, or are you coming in?” 

She still had time to flee, considered; she always ended up wounded and bruised every time she talked to him. “I’m considering if staying back in Hawaii is worth having you back in my life.” 

“I suppose Leopold talked to you about my proposal,” stated matter-of-factly. 

“He did, as much as he could.” Her feet dragged her towards him, memories of his voice pulling her;  _ «You will look at me when I talk to you.»  _ “Said you wanted to help, but I don’t trust you, or your intentions for what matters.”

He sniggered; she finally was brave enough to look at his cold, green eyes. His blonde hair was soon turning silver and, and what once was an abundant mane, was now receding. “It would be foolish if you did,” stated giving a long sip to his brandy, “I’m glad you finally started behaving like an adult.”

“And I’m not surprised you are still a git.”

A hearty laugh abandoned him, a glint of mirth coloured his eyes, her heart skipped a beat. “Fiery and unapologetic. Just like your mother.”

“What do you want?” 

Snorting, he reached for a briefcase resting on the side of his chair. “I see you developed a sense of pragmatism,” the locks released, and a leather folder with the family’s crest emblazoned was trusted in her hands. “Leopold brought to my attention your inmigration problem a few days ago.”

“I’ll certainly appreciate the invasion of privacy, by the way,” the deadpan made him roll his eyes, “because we never had problems about your lack of respect for my personal affairs.”

“I can help,” ignored her comment.  _ «As always.»  _ “I will help you to solve this matter.”

A brow lifted, and her lips pursed. “And what, pray tell, is your gain in me staying here?”

“You may,” pointed at the folder.

Inside, a contract, no, a  _ share certificate,  _ from Grand Paradise Resorts, the second biggest resort chain in Hawaii, the fifth in the US and the tenth in the world; 54.6% of the shares under one name:  _ Juliet Alexandra Louise Higgins.  _

“Our lawyer found another way for you to stay. You need to have a company valued at five hundred thousand dollars, at least and have more than five employees. The Grand Paradise is worth twenty billion dollars and has over ninety thousand workers,” he trailed, “and a new CEO, if you accept, of course.” 

Squinting, she tilted her head “What’s the catch?” 

“I beg your pardon?”

Her eyes averted to the greatness of the Pacific, the waves cruising at the command of the wind, the salty taste in the atmosphere and the warm sun of mid-morning caressing her already golden skin. 

“You don’t do anything that does not benefit you in some way,” she went back to look at him, she could see some of him in herself, and she wondered. “What is it that you want from me, Albert?”

“I want you to resume your responsibilities as my daughter, that you are,” Juliet all but recoiled at the idea, “of course, you will be granted the same treatment and courtesies your siblings are entitled to.”

“I won’t go back to London.” Her voice abandoned with more bite and emotion than intended; she wanted to scream.

He handed her another folder, a look-alike of the other, with a different set of documents, one she hasn’t seen in a long time, and she thought never would have seen again. Such a piece of paper was, in fact, a symbol of enslavement to a life of humiliations and rage, betrayal and loneliness. He was giving back her trust fund.

“Whether you like it or not, you are a Higgins,” the resignation in his voice was cutting, “as my daughter and heir, you have to act as such; you will have to attend galas, dinner parties, family meetings, and director’s board reunions; you are to conduct yourself properly, represent the family in venues here in the United States. Those are my conditions for you to remain in Hawaii.”

“You want to micromanage my life, that’s what you mean,” declared drily. 

In earnest, he leaned over the table, “I want to make you understand that you are my daughter, you will always be a Higgins; people look at you and see me, our name.”

_ «Deck him!»  _ A part of her yelled, which oddly enough, sounded eerily like Magnum, but the other side recognized the truth in his words.

“You are absolutely right” concede, “outside this island, I’m nothing but your bastard daughter,” snapped; also leaning, she stared directly into his eyes; for the first time in her life, no tears to shed. “But here,” she pointed outside, towards the grand pacific, “you are in my territory, in my house, you play by  _ my rules _ , or you simply don’t play at all.” 

A wide grin formed in his lips, there was something feline in him, and she realized, « _ he was waiting for this»,  _ almost hoping for her to make a move. « _ He taught you how to play.»  _ she thought,  _ «father indeed.» _

“Which are your rules, Juliet?” Inquire while leaning back in his chair. Took the glass of watered-down brandy and sipped, grimacing at the taste of melted ice and his precious liquor. 

“Autonomy; I don’t want anyone hovering over my shoulder, commenting or making ‘suggestions’,” quoted, “I’ll deal with no one but you or Leopold if you are unavailable.” He nodded. She continued. “Privacy. If there’s something about my life you want to know, you’ll ask me and only me, and I shall answer to my discretion. I want to have voice and vote in the company's affair, also, my mother’s cottage in Surrey, I want it back. ”

“Anything else?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. You keep your children away from me.” 

“They are your siblings.”

Snorting, a grimace flashed in her face. “I’m the remainder of their father’s indiscretion, I’ve never been one of them and never will be,” Her expression was schooled; this was agent Higgins, not Juliet or Higgy. “Neither I want too. For what I care, I have a sister, singular.” 

“Jonathan…”

“Jonathan made his choice seven years ago. I’m over him.”

_ «As if.» _

He sighed, defeated, _ «check, for now» _ , Juliet thought triumphant. 

“Very well, the only thing left is for you to sign and our lawyers will take care of the rest.” 

She signed away a piece of her dignity and freedom for her Ohana; for Kumu, T.C, Rick, Shammy, Gordon and Magnum. For the only place in the world where she stopped being the bastard of Higgins or a cold-blooded killer; she was Higgy or Jules, or Juliet; the friend, the P.I, _the partner_. She expected problems; she was not only committing her time to run a billion-dollar company but to a life where time was scarce and valuable, so running around with Magnum fixing the problems of humankind and landing themselves in all sorts of mischief was over. 

She was walking away from him, ready to leave, this time not musing in the same bitter thoughts of forever leaving them behind she had the last time.

“I hope this becomes an opportunity for us to build the relationship we should have had since the beginning.” 

Juliet froze, his words, the connotation, it was like being shot, worse than that; because again, like the thorns in a rose, wrapping her heart, hope grew. That child who once sought the attention and approval of her father, blossomed back to surface at the words, but, as she once heard:  _ Hope breeds eternal misery.  _ Turning to see him, to really see him, she saw something never seen in him; that soft man her mother talked about once, the charming lord who once she thought was the love of her life.

“Goodbye.”

* * *

* * *

The moment she stepped out of the condominium, and towards her car, she crumbled to pieces, like always he was involved. She was prone to heartbreak; it happened with her brother, and father, her mother and Richard. Her hands were useless while trying to put the keys in the ignition; a gut-wrenching sob escaped her body, it was physically painful; her head hurt, and the pressure in her chest was unbearable. She felt like sinking, drowning in thick black water; later realized, she wasn’t breathing but gasping; nausea overtook her body while her heart soared achingly against her chest. She was  _ dying.  _

But sometimes, life was all about the timing.  _ Bang the drum all-day  _ blared through the sound system and, like a deadly hangover, she was brought back to reality. Trying to make herself presentable,  _ «even though it was a voice call,»  _ she wiped the track of fresh tears and reigned on her heavy breathing.

“Yes, Magnum?”

_ “Higgy, hey!”  _ Higgins felt like crying at the sound of his voice.  _ “We are waiting for you. Rick is about to eat your gross veggie burger, again.”  _

—  _ I do not! —  _ The sound of Rick’s voice carried through the speaker.

—  _ He does, Jules. Don’t listen to ‘im. —  _ T.C’s voice resounded in the back; a laugh that sounded like Shammy also made its way through it, too.

— _ I don’t know why you’d eat that. _ — She could hear Gordon’s deadpan too.

“ _ Higgy, you there?” _

She walked out of her reverie to hum in agreement. “I’m on my way, ah, and Magnum?” 

“ _ Yes, Higgy? _ ”

“Tell Rick that, if he ever touches my burgers again, I’ll set the lads on him.”

A bright laugh that was all Magnum accompanied by a ‘whatever you say Higgy’ was the last reason she needed to confirm she made the right decision.

_ «They are worth it.» _   



End file.
